KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brett Veach used his first two drafts as general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs to put the finishing touches on a roster that won the franchise its first Super Bowl in 50 years, all without making a single selection in the first round. Now, on the eve of his third draft, the always-aggressive Veach is finally poised to pick on Day 1 — just barely. And maybe. The Chiefs only have five picks in the draft, and there is a very real possibility that they trade No. 32 to accumulate more picks as they aim to defend their championship.
UNDATED (AP) — On Saturday, Brad Lang, a Marine veteran who lost both legs in an explosion while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2011, will announce a draft pick for the Carolina Panthers. He was selected by the NFL to represent the new league that will play in Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Kansas City, Missouri. Then Lang will continue preparation for the wheelchair version of America’s most popular sport. Disabled Sports USA, with funding from the NFL and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, plans to launch a league in the fall.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — East Tennessee State has signed guard David Sloan as a transfer from Kansas State. Coach Steve Forbes announced the addition to the team that won the Southern Conference Tournament title and went 30-4 this season. The 6-foot Sloan spent his junior season with Kansas State, where he started nine of 32 games. The native of Louisville, Kentucky, averaged 5.3 points and 2.3 assists per game. He had 19 games with one turnover, including seven with none. Sloan played his first two seasons at John A. Logan College, where he played with current ETSU forward Vonnie Patterson.
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Former Illinois-Chicago basketball coach Steve McClain has reunited with Tom Crean at Georgia. McClain is joining the Bulldogs as an assistant coach. He previously worked for Crean at Indiana before taking over as UIC’s head coach. Now, he's back with Crean, who has struggled in his first two seasons as the Bulldogs coach. McClain was fired by the Flames in March after going 76-93 in five seasons, including a 42-48 record in the Horizon League. McClain also was a head coach for nine years at Wyoming and three seasons at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.
UNDATED (AP) — Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is the most intriguing player in the NFL draft. On the latest episode of the AP Top 25 College Football Podcast, Dane Brugler from The Athletic breaks down the upside and the risk of drafting Tagovailoa and which teams might be ready to call his name. Also joining the AP’s Ralph Russo is new Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin, who recruited Tagovailoa to Alabama.
UNDATED (AP) — Professional sports leagues can think about isolating their athletes from the new coronavirus and playing in secluded places. AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo says college football has no such option. Pro sports league can get creative with solutions to save their multibillion-dollar businesses. Russo says college sports will take a slower road back. Conference commissioners have made clear that games won't start until campuses open. Russo says those decisions will be made by university presidents who have already shown they will be conservative when it comes to safety.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have been stripped of their second-round pick in this year’s draft for stealing signs during their 2018 World Series title run. Additionally, former Red Sox manager Alex Cora was suspended through the 2020 postseason for his previous conduct as bench coach with the Houston Astros. Commissioner Rob Manfred announced his decision Wednesday, concluding Red Sox replay system operator J.T. Watkins broke rules by using in-game video to revise sign sequences provided to players.
UNDATED (AP) — Roger Federer is calling for the merger of the governing bodies for the men's and women's professional tennis tours, sparking a conversation among players and fans. The 20-time Grand Slam champion issued the notion in a series of tweets, saying it probably should have happened a long time ago and maybe now is really the time. The comments have drawn plenty of support, including from rival Rafael Nadal and 12-time major singles champion Billie Jean King, who founded the WTA and has long said men and women should share one tour.
UNDATED (AP) — Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw has abruptly retired after a Hall of Fame coaching career that includes 936 victories and two national championships in 33 seasons. The 64-year-old McGraw became the 13th woman inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three years ago, one year before her second NCAA title. McGraw is one of five Division I men’s or women’s basketball coaches with at least 930 wins, nine Final Fours and multiple titles.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have canceled their offseason program because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The team has informed players they will not be required to report to club headquarters until training camp, whenever that may be. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis says the club will remain in regular communication with players between now and the opening of training camp.
UNDATED (AP) — The head of the NFL Players Association says the new collective bargaining agreement does not have a similar clause to one that allows the NBA to start cutting players’ pay in mid-May. Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said Wednesday that the CBA with the NFL does not include a “force majeure” provision, which would prevent someone from fulfilling a contract because of unforeseeable circumstances. The NBA is using that clause to begin taking a 25% chunk out of players’ checks starting May 15 for a league that shut down March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.